5 Worst Home Renovation Projects

BOSTON (TheStreet) -- A new bathroom or roof can make your home a lot more pleasant, but don't expect to recover its cost when you sell.

That's because a recent analysis by Remodeling magazine and the National Association of Realtors found that none of 35 upgrades studied will boost your home's value enough to cover the job's nationwide average price.

"You can easily put something in that a buyer is just going to want to rip out," says Judy Moore, a suburban Boston real estate agent and National Association of Realtors board member.

While researchers found that some projects offer 100% return on investment or better in certain markets, none do so on a nationwide basis.

We looked recently at the five upgrades that Remodeling found offer the best ROIs. Below is a look at the five that researchers believe offer the worst.

Creating a home office���Projected return on investment: 43.6%���Moore says that while some house-hunters appreciate an elaborate home office, "it's an individual preference. Many people will just use the kitchen table, the basement or an extra bedroom as home offices."

Remodeling estimates that you'll recoup less than half of the $27,300 you'll spend to convert an existing 12-foot-by-12-foot room into a home office with custom cabinets, a 20-foot desktop, a computer workstation, carpeting and communications lines.